unMASKing with Male Educators: Creating Emotionally Safe Classrooms & Schools for Male Students

• #27 | Powerful Teacher Rejuvenation After a School Shooting in Nashville

  I recently attended RestorED: A Healing Experience for Educators - a collaboration between our nonprofit, the Ever Forward Club, and The Find Design, a nonprofit based in Nashville, Tennessee. During this experience, I made profound connections with great teachers, like Ms. Kayla. She’s been a rock for her students after the school shooting at Antioch H.S., in Nashville. Listen to hear what I took from this experience.This episode was inspired by my conversation with Justin Haas. Check it out here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/branch-speaks/episodes/22--For-White-Folks-Who-Teach-in-the-Hood---w-Justin-Haas--Organizer--Educator--Anti-Oppressor-Community-Cultivator-e30vuhr ---(0:00) Class in session(1:00) Educator rejuvenation/restoration in Nashville, TN(4:30) A teacher who lived through a school shooting - Antioch High School(10:15) Modeling the behavior you desire for your students(13:00) Math, art, and using talents to cover weaknesses(19:45) Diary of Confused Educator announcement---Contribute to our Dance-a-thon fundraiser: https://charity.pledgeit.org/EFC-DanceAThon Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Email us questions and comments at [email protected] Create your own mask anonymously at https://millionmask.org/ ---Connect with Ashanti Branch:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksTwitter: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/---Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support ---Connect with Ever Forward Club:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclubTwitter: https://twitter.com/everforwardclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

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• #26 | Schools Need Rites of Passage… Besides Graduation

  Here's an excellent way to build culture and create buy-in at your school/classroom: rites of passage. What rites of passage are appropriate for your students? What are some values to hone in on as you create rites of passage experiences for your students? What are some outside resources you can point families toward? Listen to find out!This episode was inspired by my conversation with Jordan Bowman. Check it out here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/branch-speaks/episodes/14--School-Community-Partnerships-How-Male-Volunteers-and-Mentors-Completely-Change-the-Dynamic-of-a-School---w-Jordan-Bowman--Community-Leader--Executive-Director--Journeymen-e2uecj4 ---(0:00) Class in session(1:20) What is a rite of passage?(6:20) Western Adolescence and how it plays out in school(8:00) Rites of Passage for teachers(15:00) How these rites of passage are subjective and vary culture to culture(20:00) Recollecting a beautiful Journeymen Rites of Passage weekend(23:00) Rites of Passage resources---Resources:Warrior Films: https://warriorfilms.org/rites-of-passage/press-kit/Mentoring: https://www.mentoring.org/take-action/find-a-mentor/Youth Passageways: https://www.youthpassageways.org/ ---Contribute to our Dance-a-thon fundraiser: https://charity.pledgeit.org/EFC-DanceAThon Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Email us questions and comments at [email protected] Create your own mask anonymously at https://millionmask.org/ ---Connect with Ashanti Branch:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksTwitter: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/---Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support ---Connect with Ever Forward Club:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclubTwitter: https://twitter.com/everforwardclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

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• #25 | Kyren Lacy, The White Lotus, Adolescence, Karmelo Anthony, & Masculinity in 2025 - A Teacher’s Perspective

  It’s all over the news. It’s everywhere in our art. Young boys are a lightning rod in our national conversation. And that puts a lot of pressure on you as an educator. So how do you deal? What kinds of behaviors are you observing in your classroom? And what conversations do you need to be having around your school community?(0:00) Class in session(2:00) Young boys are in the news. What’s going on?(3:00) Should “Adolescence” be screened in schools?(5:00) The White Lotus, Tim Ratliff(8:50) Kyren Lacy and his father(11:00) Frisco, TX and Karmelo Anthony(14:00) Lessons from my mentor(17:30) What can adults do about this?(18:55) Emoji’s in Adolescence, and learning from young people(20:55) Action items for educators---Contribute to our Dance-a-thon fundraiser: https://charity.pledgeit.org/EFC-DanceAThon Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Email us questions and comments at [email protected] Create your own mask anonymously at https://millionmask.org/ ---Connect with Ashanti Branch:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksTwitter: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/---Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support ---Connect with Ever Forward Club:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclubTwitter: https://twitter.com/everforwardclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

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• #24 | Understanding the Root of Anti-Social Behaviors = Better Teaching - w/ Dr. Matt Englar-Carlson

  “Nothing personal, it’s just business.” What teachers need to understand is the “business” of school is social capital. So when teachers have a student challenging them, disrespecting them, putting on a show in their classroom… it’s nothing personal. It’s not even about you.Our guest, Dr. Matt Englar-Carlson, a veteran in the public school system, knows a thing or two about navigating these types of interactions. Today, we discuss:How to “advocate” for students, instead of “fix them”How anti-social behaviors are never “personal” and always “interpersonal”How education was fundamentally changed in the year 2012The one prosocial behavior you can adopt as an educator… to help you better connect with male students(0:00) Class in session(2:00) Matt introduces himself(7:30) “Fixing” vs. “advocating for” kids(10:00) School staff shortages and all the issues that come with it(17:00) When boys act out, it’s not about you(21:00) How do men in education help boys? (28:00) A student office referral story(36:10) The motivation of future teachers to smash the system(39:00) Netflix’s Adolescence and the influence of smartphones(47:00) Matt’s work and conferenceConnect with Matt-Englar Carlson:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmattec/ Website: https://experts.fullerton.edu/expert?SubjectID=44&ExpertID=588 Website: https://www.getmental.com/ ---Contribute to our Dance-a-thon fundraiser: https://charity.pledgeit.org/EFC-DanceAThon Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Email us questions and comments at [email protected] Create your own mask anonymously at https://millionmask.org/ ---Connect with Ashanti Branch:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksTwitter: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/---Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support ---Connect with Ever Forward Club:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclubTwitter: https://twitter.com/everforwardclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

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• #23 | The Dunning-Kruger Effect for Educators: Get your students out of a fixed mindset

  There's a poster that should be in every classroom in America. It's called "The Learning Pit" by James Nottingham. The "adult" version of this concept is called the "Dunning- Kruger" effect. Look them up!In this episode, we break down what it all means and how you can implement it in your classroom. It seriously should be in every classroom.This episode was inspired by my conversation with Roni Habib. Check it out here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/branch-speaks/episodes/16--Foster-the-Joy-of-Learning-in-Your-School---w-Roni-Habib--Founder--EQ-Schools--Speaker-e2v2lfd (0:00) Class in session(1:05) Reflecting on my conversation with Roni Habib, and taking high school classes as a middle schooler(5:50) Teaching students who “don’t like school”(8:38) The Dunning-Kruger Effect for educators and students, and growth mindset(14:55) I was not a good teacher(15:55) My slope of enlightenment was…(18:10) An inspiring school in Mexico(21:30) The Learning Pit poster should be in all schools(23:40) Netflix’s Adolescence(25:50) Final thoughts on EQ - emotional intelligenceContribute to our Dance-a-thon fundraiser: https://charity.pledgeit.org/EFC-DanceAThon Join our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345 Email us questions and comments at [email protected] Create your own mask anonymously at https://millionmask.org/ ---Connect with Ashanti Branch:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksTwitter: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/---Support the podcast and the work of the Ever Forward Club: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support ---Connect with Ever Forward Club:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclubTwitter: https://twitter.com/everforwardclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/

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